Les Liaisons Doucereuses
by clicketykeys
Summary: Vacy and Corso search for the kidnapped mate of Nik Deleru. Things don't go as planned, and Corso finds himself in a rather interesting situation. Chapter 4! Corso & Ria - THE NEXT MORNING. Could Ria be more intrigued by the merc than she'd realized? Is Corso getting past his feelings for Vacy? He's the settling-down type, but would he give up his quest for Torchy to stay with Ria?
1. Things Never Go Smooth

**Chapter 1 – Things Never Go Smooth  
**

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[Author's Note: Okay, so hopefully it's obvious that the title is a shoutout to _Les Liaisons Dangereuses_. This is a story about complications, and relationships, and complicated relationships, so I think that's what made me think of LLD. But of course, there's not anything particularly dangerous about this liaison, so I did a bit more thinking and then googlesearched for a french rhyming dictionary, which is where I got 'doucereuses.' It fits quite nicely as a substitute, and has a meaning that works perfectly! So apparently my muse is being a bit 'doucereuse' herself today, haha!]

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Vacy always felt a little odd when she tried to act casual while she was fully geared. It didn't much help that while her jacket and trousers had slim inserts for the armored plating she used to give herself a bit more protection, Corso was a walking pile of durasteel. He took good care of his gear and always made sure of a good fit before buying, so he didn't scrape or clank as he walked along beside her, thankfully. Still, unobtrusive was definitely not something she'd use to describe them.

Fortunately, though, they seemed to be in pretty good company as they ambled down the boulevard toward the next cantina. So far no one had batted an eye when they requested a particular dancer - it seemed the practice was fairly common - but no one had heard of 'Nia Deleru' either.

"Nia Deleru?" said the twi'lek. She ran one hand over her lekku. "Do you maybe mean Ria Deleru?"

Vacy nodded without missing a bit. "Yeah, ah, my apologies, we don't have that sound," she replied glibly, gesturing to her face with its olive skin and traditional tattooing. "Sometimes I talk funny." It sounded plausible to her, at least. "She dances h... at this cantina?"

The dancer smiled broadly, shaking her head. "Oh, don't worry a bit about it - I'm sorry I brought it up. Um, her shift hasn't started yet, but she may be here? She's, like, SUPER focused, and she comes in early most nights. So, I'll go see, okay?" She gave them a bright smile in farewell and headed through a doorway.

"Thanks!" Vacy called as she skipped off. She looked over at Corso and breathed a sigh of relief. "Uff, she bought it. That went better than expected. I wasn't sure she'd buy the whole 'I'm a Mirialan, we can't say our 'r' sounds, never mind that we included one in the name of our home planet.' And anyway, what the hell - Ria instead of Nia?"

He nodded, lifting his shoulders. "Let's just hope that this Ria Deleru is the person we're looking for."

"Sorry to keep you waiting," purred a sultry voice behind them, as if on cue.

Vacy turned around and blinked in surprise. How did somebody walk around mostly-naked and act like it was no big deal? _Damn, girl. No wonder Nik was whining so much about how he missed you._ "That's fine," she said, pulling a smile for the nautolan. She had to look up a bit to meet the woman's gaze, and realized that the confidence and ease she saw in that expression made her a bit jealous.

Not that she'd admit it.

Corso coughed in surprise, then cleared his throat a few times, which gave him an excuse to turn away and duck his head.

Ria glanced at him, and the corners of her mouth quirked upward a bit more before she looked back to Vacy. "Gutsy of you to come here with your date. Not many would. You looking for a couples special?"

And within the space of a heartbeat they were both talking at the same time, each over the other. "What? No! This isn't a date, nope! not a date, because we're not a couple - I mean, there's two of us, but we're not, like, A Couple, because, it's just, no, it's not like that, no. NO."

"Oh." Ria's brow-ridges arched, her luminous eyes widening even more. She looked more directly at Corso a moment later, shifting her weight to the side and putting one slim hand on her barely-clad hip. "So... do you want a PRIVATE dance, then?"

He looked down again, grinning bashfully. "Well, that is, not that you aren't a stunningly beautiful lady, but, ah, we're kind of here on, ah, another matter."

Vacy looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. She hadn't thought to object to his immediate and vehement denial of their more-than-buddies status, particularly given that he was echoing her, but it suddenly occurred to her that perhaps he'd been a bit more emphatic than had actually been called for. Was it because of Darmas? Was he trying to get in a bit of flirtation of his own, to show her how it felt? No - because then why didn't he take Ria up on her offer? But the only other possibility that came to mind was that he'd already given up on her. Which, of course, would be the smart thing for him to do.

"Right," she said, shoving away the quiet twinge of disappointment. _That doesn't matter, not really_. "We've come to get you out of here."

"Out of here?" Ria looked at them blankly, waiting for the explanation. Then she closed her eyes, running a hand over her tresses with a sigh. "Nik sent you, didn't he." Though phrased as a question, the heaviness in her voice turned it into a statement.

"Yeah..." Vacy frowned. This was not going the way she had planned. "Look, we can pay for a private dance, and then from there we can find a way to escape." She'd just add the cost of the dance to Nik's bill; he seemed desperate enough that he'd probably pay anything she demanded, actually.

Ria shook her head, pacing back and forth, folding her arms under the thin scraps of fabric that pretended to cover her generous breasts. "That's just it - I don't WANT to escape. Look, I'm sorry. I made up that story about being kidnapped by a gang. I thought maybe if Nik believed he'd have to fight his way through a bunch of thugs to get to me... he would just let me go."

_This is _definitely_ not according to plan_. Vacy groaned inwardly as she saw the credits she'd imagined transferring to her account quickly trickling away to nothing. "So you want to be here? As a dancer?"

At the word, Ria's entire stance changed and her expression warmed and softened. "Oh, yes," she breathed, arms wrapping around to hug herself a little. "I love dancing - the music, and the way it just seems to move with you, and playing to an audience." She let out a happy little sigh. "And the manager here... she says I have potential. I mean, I could really BE somebody one day."

Corso had been standing back with his head down, but he suddenly looked up, frowning a bit. "You're somebody now, y'know," he interjected.

Ria hesitated, and then let out a short chuckle. "Well, yeah, but I mean somebody who matters. Anyway, please, please don't tell Nik where I am. Tell him that - um - I died in a street fight. Or maybe that they shipped me off Coruscant. Just don't let him find me."

Vacy chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. While she appreciated Ria's situation, she wasn't too keen on fibbing to a client. Bad enough that she'd finished the job and was probably - _okay, okay, almost certainly_, she admitted to herself - going to toss it. But topping it off with an out-and-out lie just seemed rather unprofessional.

She looked over at Corso. He looked back at her, saying nothing. But then, of course, he didn't have to; she already knew what he would say. Vacy let out a sigh of resignation and nodded. "We'll make sure he doesn't bother you," she replied, avoiding the issue of just how that would be managed.

Ria beamed, thanking them profusely, but then as they turned to go she cleared her throat. They turned back to look at her, and she shrugged, a mischievous grin curling over her lips. "Y'know, you don't BOTH have to go talk to him, after all." She turned to Corso with an inviting smile. "Offer still stands, handsome."

"Sure, why not?" Vacy found herself saying. And if her voice was higher than usual and her smile felt stretched, well, it had been a long day and it wasn't over yet. She reached up and clapped Corso on the shoulder. "You two go have some, uh, quality time together, all right?"

He blinked, but then just shook his head in resignation. "I didn't think this job could get _more_ complicated," he muttered under his breath. "Sure thing, Captain," he said aloud. "Guess I'll see you back at the ship." He walked up to Ria and offered her his arm. "Ma'am?"

Ria stepped close, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow. "Well aren't you just a charming gentleman," she cooed.

He chuckled. "Well, my da always said you could tell what kind of man a fella was by how he treated others."

Her smile was soft and warm as she gazed at him. "Your da sounds like a wonderful man."

Corso hesitated only for a moment. "He was," he said, his voice a bit thick.

Ria reached up, her fingertips lightly brushing his jawline. "He would be proud of you," she murmured gently.

And it was only then that Corso looked up, and noticed that Vacy was already gone.

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[As always, reviews welcomed/encouraged/longed for!]


	2. Special Hell

**Chapter 2 – Special Hell**

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[In "Our Mrs. Reynolds," Book tells Mal that he'll "burn in a very special level of hell" if he takes advantage of Saffron. There is a bit of a twist to the seduction, naturally, what with it being a Joss Whedon show, and that's what brought it to mind for this chapter. As always, thanks for reading and especially for reviewing, and a particular thanks to Nerica for diligently encouraging me to keep going! Hope you enjoy...

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Ria waited until his attention returned to her, and then tilted her head thoughtfully. "So. You guys are... partners?"

Corso nodded slowly. "Something like that."

It was quite clear that there was more going on between the two of them than _just_ a partnership, but Ria couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. Still, while she prided herself on not being a homewrecker, he'd been given pretty obvious permission for something more than casual conversation. And as they were adults, she wasn't about to start preaching.

So she snugged closer to him and smiled. "C'mon. Let's find somewhere a little quieter and sit down for a bit? I'm Ria, by the way."

He bobbed his head politely. "Corso Riggs, ma'am."

Blinking in surprise – she couldn't actually remember the last time someone had called her "ma'am" – she turned and led him through a doorway into the main area of the club. It was packed, but Ria threaded them through the crowd with practiced ease. She leaned over the bar in the middle of the room and waved down one of the tenders. "Let Denyel know I've got a client?"

The bartender nodded. "How long?"

Ria looked over her shoulder and smiled up at Corso before turning back to the bartender with a shrug. "I'm hopeful."

"Sure thing. Keep us posted," the bartender said, heading to another customer.

She nodded. "You bet," she replied as she slipped her arm around Corso's waist. "Sorry about that," she said with an apologetic smile. "C'mon."

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She closed the door behind them, then turned around and took both his hands in hers. Looking up slowly, she let a soft, almost-shy smile play over her lips. "I, ah... I don't think I've thanked you properly for what you've done for me," she murmured, stepping closer. She tilted her chin up, and when he lowered his head to hers for a slow, gentle kiss, she let go of his hands and slipped her arms around him.

And it wasn't half-bad, actually. Sure, he was definitely taking things slow, but that was certainly preferable to clients who seemed to think that 'better kissing' meant 'more tongue.' Ugh. One of her first clients had been some idiot Devaronian who insisted he was "the best you'll ever have, baby."

What a nitwit.

She let out a little breathy sigh, to let him know she was enjoying his attention, and sort of nestled against him more. It wasn't easy to do, as his armor was lumpy and cold against her mostly-bare skin, but before she could pout cutely about it, he chuckled and lifted his head.

"Y'know, I'm not too sure how 'proper' this thank-you is," he said with a grin.

Ria wrinkled her nose at him, but she couldn't help grinning back. "Charming _and_ clever, eh?" She leaned close, putting a hand beside her mouth like she was about to reveal some enormous secret. "Well. I mean, don't tell anyone, but... we don't have to be _completely_ proper," she stage-whispered.

Corso blushed at that, ducking his head. "Yeh, well... dunno that I really am all that charmin' or clever. Think I prob'ly just got lucky there."

There were all kinds of jokes she could have made at _that_ remark, but something told her they'd be a little rowdier than he was comfortable with, so she just tsk-tsked at him and tapped the tip of his nose with her index finger. "Didn't anyone ever tell you it isn't polite to contradict a lady?"

"Nooo..." He arched a brow, peering at her. "You in cahoots with the Captain or somethin'?"

She smiled again to encourage him to continue to relax. "Nope. I came up with that all by myself," she retorted pertly, nestling close once more. She let her smile tighten a bit, so it didn't look as natural, and fidgeted slightly. Then she shifted again, like it was difficult to get comfortable.

"Oh! sorry," he said, noticing her discomfort, though not - she hoped - her artifice. "I just - we were thinkin' we might hafta fight our way outta here so we came in fully geared and I just didn't even think about it." As he apologized, he backed up a little and started fiddling with latches and lacing.

"You're fine; don't worry about it," she said, though she didn't make the slightest move to stop him. While he wrangled himself out of his armor, his attention was on the various fastenings, which gave her the opportunity to observe him more closely without seeming as nosy as she knew she was being.

He seemed unhurried, and while he wasn't overly-cautious, he was gentle with his armor as he unhooked the various segments in turn and set them neatly on the floor in a row, leaning each piece against the wall for added support. It amused her a bit (after all, one would think that if there was anything you could toss to the side without worrying too much about damaging it, armor would be that thing) but it was also ... kind of sweet, actually. Because someone who was that careful and thorough with inanimate objects was quite likely careful and thorough in other ways as well.

She rather enjoyed thinking about that possibility.

He frowned as he set his bracers next to the greaves. Crouched on a knee, he looked up at her. "Uh... I mean... boots too?"

_Definitely a first-timer_. She lifted her shoulders, holding one hand out to him. "If you like. Doesn't really matter; we can deal with that later, anyway." He put his hand in hers and she pulled, but he simply stood, rather than 'losing his balance' and 'accidentally' knocking her down and landing on top of her. She didn't think a ploy of that sort would even cross his mind.

When she stepped close, he draped his arms around her waist, but didn't pull her body against his. He looked at her silently for a moment, his brows pulled together uncertainly. "Just - well - so you understand." He cleared his throat, a blush rising in his cheeks. "You don't owe me anything. We don't have to do anythin' you don't want, arright?"

_Isn't that supposed to be MY line?_ But she didn't really want to lighten the mood, so she merely nodded, and stretched up the little she needed to touch her lips to his, briefly. "I _do_ want, though," she whispered. Some of the tension in his posture eased a bit, and as he held her closer, she softly put her arms around his shoulders, lacing her fingers behind his neck, and pressed against him just a touch more.

The balance between immersion and detachment could be tricky to navigate. It was important not to get too involved in what was going on, or she'd miss noticing cues from the client's body language. On the other hand, focusing entirely on observation, evaluation, and appropriate response made the entire interaction much more clinical, and there were droids for that sort of thing. Ria took a good bit of pride in being far better at what she did than any droid ever could be.

And it was so easy to relax against him. The black synthsilk he wore under his armor was snug and thin, and she could feel the warm bulk of his body through the fabric. She tilted her head up, smiling at him, and then rubbed the tip of her nose against his jawline. It was mostly soft one way and a little bit scratchy the other – he'd probably shaved that morning.

He let out a long, low sigh, heavier than before. She frowned, lifting a hand to caress his cheek. "Everything all right?"

For a moment he was silent, and then he nodded slowly. "Yeah. I just... I can't do this. I'm sorry. It's not fair."

The sting of rejection was rarely personal, these days; more of a blow to her professional pride. She thought back over what she'd done and how she'd cued him, but everything had seemed to be going smoothly. But it would make sense if… yes, that was almost certainly it.

"To her?" she asked, keeping her voice gentle so that it wouldn't come across as an accusation.

Corso blinked, his brows pulling together in puzzlement. "What? No… to you."

That caught her off guard. "To – to _me_? What do you mean?"

He let out a long sigh, reaching up to rub at the back of his head. "Just, well, I've got somethin' else on my mind. Some_one_, actually. And it don't seem right to be smoochin' you when I'm thinkin' about somebody else. You deserve better'n that."

Ria chuckled, shaking her head with a wry grin. "That… might be the sweetest thing anyone's said to me in quite some time." She watched him silently for a moment. "So have you said anything to this someone else?"

"I kinda get the idea that it might not be that well received if I did," he replied slowly. "I mean, you saw how she about pushed us together an' then run off?" His smile was sad as he shook his head. "I feel like not tellin' her is kinda dishonest, but then again I don't want to put her in a spot or anything. I'm just not sure what to do, to be honest."

She reached out and slipped her fingers through his. "Maybe one day things will be different. But for now, just be there for her."

The corner of his mouth pulled up in a bit of a smirk. "Think I got that covered. It just… it don't seem like much." He let out another sigh, rubbing at his chin with his free hand.

Looking down, she rubbed her thumb against his, wishing she could somehow fix things for him. But there wasn't anything she could say – not and have it be the truth. And she realized that somehow, she didn't want to feed him a bunch of sweet, false nothings. "And if things aren't ever different… what will you do?"

He lifted his shoulders. "Guess I'll be there for her."

And his weary smile was such a beacon of lost hope that it almost broke her heart.


	3. Sometimes People Have Feelings

**Chapter 3 – Sometimes People Have Feelings**

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[So it seems I'm finally starting to get the hang of WRITING now that it's summertime. Unfortunately, there's still a lot of real-world work to do. The project for tonight: taking apart the dryer. Eep! Wish me luck! :D

I have an incredibly soft spot in my heart for sex workers. The ones I've known have been smart, fun, regular people. As with any job, there are some people who resent it, there are others for whom it's a job and nothing more, and still others for whom it's a career or even a calling.

Ria Deleru is the latter.

Oh, and this _Firefly_ quote in the chapter title comes from the episode where Mal accidentally gets married. I think.]

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With a quiet smile, Ria squeezed his hand once, then nodded over to the deep couch along the far wall. "C'mon. Let's sit down for a bit."

Corso let out a heavy sigh as he sat down next to her. "I'm just worried I'm gonna mess everything up," he admitted. "Like Nik."

Ria folded her legs underneath her. She wiggled to get comfortable, then shook her head and let out a rather unladylike snort. "You? Like Nik? You're not… no, you _are_ serious," she mused, looking at him thoughtfully.

He leaned forward, resting his chin against the heel of his hand. "Yup," he said [heavily]. "I mean, the guy has no idea whatsoever that you can't stand him. That you'd do anything – even this – just to get away from him."

"Okay, first of all? You got that last bit switched around." Realizing her tone was sharper than she'd intended, Ria took a breath before she continued. "I left him so that I could do this. I've always wanted to perform. But Nik…"

She shook her head again and shifted, nestling up behind him, and gently ran her palms along the width of his shoulders, then slowly pressed the pads of her thumbs against the knotty muscles and rubbed in small circles. "Nik didn't like the idea. And that meant that I wasn't supposed to like the idea either." The circles got a little tighter. "I mean, wasn't it _obvious? _What was_ wrong_ with me? Why couldn't I see how humiliating it would be to have everyone staring at me like that?" She pressed a little deeper. "Never mind that I didn't feel the least bit humiliated – that didn't matter. Nope. Nik didn't want anyone else staring at his woman, and _that_ was what mattered."

His fingers abruptly closed around hers as he lifted her hands from his shoulders and leaned forward, away from her. "Okay," he interjected, his voice kind of tight. "I think I'm all massaged, thanks."

With a gasp, she yanked her hands back as though she'd burnt her fingers. "Oh no! I am so sorry. I am so, _so_ sorry!" she exclaimed, wincing in embarrassment.

"Hey." He turned to face her, his brows pulled together in concern. "It's all right. Not like I'm injured or anything, after all. It's not a big deal," he murmured, his voice soft and soothing.

_How absolutely humiliating. Dammit, you'd think _I_ was the first-timer here! _She smiled gratefully at him, but shook her head, her cheeks still warm. "Well, it's not the end of the world, but it isn't very professional of me, either."

Corso's forehead wrinkled even more. "… Professional? That's, ahm… not a word I would've thought to associate with… uhm… y'know. This."

It was more of an admission than she'd meant to give, and she'd half expected him to laugh. Most people thought her work had little value, never mind that they were willing to pay quite a bit for it. But his confusion, while a bit grating, was on the kinder side of ignorant.

Ria lifted her chin a bit. "I'm good looking, enough that I don't really have to have much skill to get a job as a dancer. But for me, being good enough isn't enough. I don't want to be just another pretty, forgettable face. So during the day, before the club opens, I work out. I stretch, and I do strength training. I practice my routine and work on expression and interpretation. That way when I perform, I don't have to think about what comes next, and I can observe the audience and tailor the routine to their responses."

She took a breath, her jaw set in challenge. "I take pride in what I do."

Nodding thoughtfully, he smiled. "More'n most, I spect." When her mouth tightened, he quickly added, "Not on account of you bein' a dancer. Just… in general. Most folks, job's just a job."

"Most folks, hm?" She leaned in a litte closer and elbowed him gently. "What about you?"

He chuffed and looked down, lifting his shoulders. "I mean, I do the best I can, of course. But it ain't because what I do is all that important. I'm just there to kind of help out. The captain's the one savin' the day. I just go out an' act like a big goofus and wave my gun around so's she don't get shot at too much."

A quiet smile pulled at his mouth, his gaze distant. "Most of the time, well, she really don't need me, I guess. But sometimes things get kind of tight. And so long as I can take the hits, I know she'll sneak around and take out whoever's doin' the hittin' and we'll get through okay. I just… I just don't ever wanna let her down."

She nudged him a little, and he looked up to see her smiling at him. "Don't overthink that too much. If she's someone worth staying with, she isn't going to get all bent out of shape if you make a few mistakes here and there."

His answering smile was somewhat wistful. "It's just… she deserves the best of everything. She shouldn't never hafta be worried, or sad, or scared. I wish – I wish I could make it so every day was a good day, an' she was always happy, an' she never got hurt none."

Ria took a slow breath, forcing herself to let go of the tension that had wound its way through her at Corso's explanation. "Wow. You sure about that? Because people don't really respond well to being programmed like that." She shivered, remembering Nik. "It's constricting. Sounds like what you want is a droid."

He shrugged slowly. "I know it ain't reasonable, or even possible. I just want her to have a good life. I want her to be happy. I know I can't _make_ her be happy. I s'pose I mean I want to _help_ her be happy, any way I can." He looked up, his brows drawn together. "But I can't help wonderin' if … if maybe I'm makin' her feel like Nik did t'you."

She closed her eyes, trying to avoid shuddering again. "You're not him," she whispered, though she wasn't sure if she was trying to reassure him… or herself. "He wouldn't even let me keep my name. Said he thought it would be 'cuter' if we could be Nik-and-Nia," she added bitterly.

Her throat tightened, leaving a sour taste in her mouth. "You seem all right – but – the thing is, I can't tell you how someone else feels." Opening her eyes again, she looked up at him. "You need to listen to what she says."

At that, the furrow in his brow tightened. "I try. But sometimes it's so confusing. I can't always figure out what she means."

"That's not what I said," she replied. "If she's sending mixed signals, it's because she's afraid to be straight with you." He made a noise of protest but she held up her hand and continued before he could try to explain. "That doesn't mean it's your fault, necessarily. Maybe she's had some other experiences that make it tough for her to open up." She reached over and placed her hand over his. "But the only way you'll ever get past that is if you show her that when she does say something, you listen."

Corso turned his hand palm-up, closing his fingers around hers. "Even if it confuses the hell out of me?"

She squeezed gently. "Especially then."

For awhile, he was silent, and then finally, he nodded. "Then that's what I'll do." He squeezed back, just as gently. "He's gone, you know. You won't have to worry about him anymore."

Looking down, she shook her head. "I'd like to believe that," she murmured, her voice low. "I wish I could."

His fingers were knobby, but his touch somehow still managed to be soft as he lifted her chin. "I promise."

But this time, when he pulled her close and she wrapped her arms around him, there was no hesitation.

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[Reviews adored; critiques and conversation of all sorts is welcome! I'm always curious to hear what people think. What *I* think is that Ria is going to end up being more than just a one-shot character...]


	4. Cuddly Like Me

**Chapter 4 – Cuddly Like Me**

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It didn't take more than a blink or two before Ria was fully awake. She'd always been a light sleeper, and the need to look presentable at all times had caused her to develop the habit of waking up quickly and quietly. Lifting her head slightly, she peeked over at the handsome young man who lay next to her. She watched the slow rise and fall of his chest for a few moments before cautiously lifting his arm and slipping off to the refresher.

A quick glance in the mirror revealed that everything was mostly in order; her skin was a touch dry, but nothing that needed immediate attention. She reached up and with careful fingers brushed the sleep-dust from her large, luminous eyes, then pressed her fingertips against a small panel in the wall. It glowed briefly for a moment, and then slid open, and a tray popped out, holding a small box.

Ria opened the box and took out a jar and two bottles. The lid to the jar unscrewed and she stuck a finger in, scooping out a bit of white gel that she rubbed onto her teeth, using her tongue to spread it around and work it into her gums until her mouth felt appropriately fresh. The first bottle was eyedrops, which always felt so soothing first thing in the morning. The second was perfume, which she dabbed on her wrists, behind her ears, and at the base of her neck. She repacked the box, placed it on the tray, and pushed the tray back into the little alcove, which slid closed a moment later.

Looking in the mirror again, she smiled. Her morning routine wasn't much, but somehow it always seemed to set things right. Midlevel Coruscant was less well-regulated than the upper tiers, and she'd learned to be ready for unexpected occurrences. So it was comforting to have a small piece of the day that belonged just to her, that had its own order, its own traditions. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly, letting herself relax into the persona she'd developed for herself. Scheduling conflicts, money worries, tension with other performers - none of those issues concerned someone as passionate and focused on the moment as Ria Deleru.

When she opened her eyes again, it would have been difficult to say what had changed. But she felt stronger and more confident, as she always did. And as she sashayed back out to the main room, she was sure that Corso Riggs would never forget the night he'd spent with her.

So it was amusing, if a little disappointing, to see that he was still soundly asleep.

She lay back down, carefully nestling close, and nudged his arm out of the way, curling against him and resting her head in the curve of his shoulder. He shifted a little, and then took a sharper breath, lifting his head and blinking. Her mouth pulled into a warm smile almost before she realized it. "Hey, snoozy," she whispered, reaching up to caress his cheek.

"G'morning," he rasped, and his eyes widened in surprise. He cleared his throat a few times, then grinned at her. "Sorry 'bout that. I'm, ah, not used to talkin' first thing, I guess."

"Well, I'm glad you stayed." She turned her head to press a tiny kiss to his shoulder. "Last night was wonderful."

He ducked his head, but couldn't hide the shy smile that drew faint crinkly lines at the corners of his eyes. "Pff. We didn't even _do_ anything," he murmured.

Reaching up to touch those adorable crinkles, she smiled. "Not anything at all?" she teased gently. "I seem to remember somebody running his hands over my skin and wrapping his arms around me and letting me doze off against him." Her smile broadened to a grin. "You're just lucky I didn't drool on you."

He pulled her close with a soft chuckle and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "Bah, wouldn't've been that bad. I grew up on a ranch, after all, so... let's just say I've been through worse. I'm sure your imagination can fill in the rest."

At that, she wrinkled her nose. "Ewwwwh." But then she hesitated. "Dammit, now I'm curious," she blurted out, and started to laugh.

His answering throaty rumble was a deeper counterpoint to hers. They laughed comfortably together, and then he let out a contented sigh. But when looked at her again, and she was still peeking expectantly at him, he grinned and shook his head. "C'mon. Gotta let a fellow have some secrets now, right?"

"Ooo," she purred, eyes sparkling. "Corso Riggs, Interstellar Man of Mystery. Be still my heart!"

Blushing, he ducked his head. "Dunno that I could manage bein' some kind of super-spy. Hard to keep track of all that cover story and secret identity stuff. Naw, I'm just a reg'lar fella. Hope... I hope that ain't too much of a disappointment for ya."

When she kissed him softly, she felt his body tense for a moment before relaxing against her. "No, Corso," she whispered. "Definitely not a disappointment. I haven't been held like that in a long time. It was nice."

He blurted out the next part quickly, as though almost scared to admit it. "I just didn't want you to think it was because you weren't pretty, or you'd done somethin' wrong, or... or that I didn't want you."

That was unexpected. "Oh," she said quietly. She tilted her head toward his once more, and this time when they kissed, she could taste the hunger behind his careful response. Her lips parted and he followed her lead, his tongue softly stroking against hers, and when she sighed into the kiss, his arms tightened around her, his skin warm and smooth against hers. She heard him rumble his pleasure as their bodies moved together, and a knot of desire twisted and coiled within her, tightening more with each caress. She shifted, her legs tangling with his, and their hips ground together and he broke the kiss with a gasp, lifting up to gaze down at her, eyes inky-black with desire.

"I do want you," he rasped, and he moved between her legs, pressing against her, and she could feel how ready he was, and her own answering need. He kissed her again, his mouth soft but not gentle, but he sighed as he pulled back. "I want you, Ria – but I don't want to regret you." Sitting up, he draped an arm around her, his fingertips drifting softly back and forth over her forearm. "I know I'm not with anybody – not like that – and so there ain't any reason to feel guilty, but, well, feelin's ain't always reasonable. My pappy useta say that, and I've found out on my own that he is damn right."

She smiled up at him. "That your dad?"

"Grandad," he replied, gaze distant. "I was still little when he died, so I don't remember a lot, but I remember that. It's weird, sometimes, what we remember, ain't it?"

"I guess so." She stretched up and planted a quick smooch on his shoulder. "Weirder still to think of you being little!"

He chuckled and stretched and they went through the slightly-complicated process of untangling themselves from each other while trying to avoid falling off the couch. Corso buckled, zipped, and strapped himself back into his armor, patting himself down to make sure he had everything, and rolled his eyes when Ria, grinning impishly, offered to help.

She walked him over to the door and they shared a fond kiss farewell. As she stepped back, she let out a theatrical sigh, putting one hand on her hip. "Sure you don't want to stick around and have a bit of fun?"

He really was adorable when he blushed. "If things change, Ria darlin', you will be the very first person I come to for a bit of fun, I promise. You take care now."

"You too." She waved, and he headed down the hall.

* * *

[Author's note: I hope I didn't disappoint anyone! I did want to keep readers guessing about just what was going to happen between Corso and Ria. What do you think - did it work? Was it believable? More importantly, was it consistent to what you know of their characterization from the game?

As always, reviews welcomed and encouraged! Don't be a stranger - say hello :) ]


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